Thursday, January 12, 2012

Mic Check S.K.R HIP-HOP MC's with DJ 1-Beat

When you hear their music for the first time, you'll immediately know why they are S.K.R, talent  versatility and a profound sound that makes their production up market, unique, smart and tantalizing. S.K.R. has been featured in the South Africa’s No.1 hip-hop magazine called HYPE in 2008 and landed their music on Africa's largest reality show Big Brother. They moved on to clinch a 4 track recording deal with an American recording company, Nomadicwax  based in New York which also has a radio station. They have been given considerable airplay, so i  caught up with S.K.R and this is who they are.



Q: Who is SKR and what does it mean?
A:  RIZLA: SKR is a an acronym for our names being Spinx, Kompozitioner and Rizla. Spinx
      and  Rizla do the rapping and Kompozitioner does the production.

Q: How did you come about to do hip hop and rap?
A: RIZLA: I had been horning my skills since I was 16 and was looking for beats to produce
     my first project. Then by chance I bumped into Kompozitioner who was making beats
     and already working with Spinx. Then after hearing Spinx rap... the rest is the present.
     KOMPOZITIONER: I’ve been hooked on hip hop ever since I heard Biggie and how 
     the breaks were chopped on those records was madness, it actually inspired me to put 
     pen to paper and create my own classic.    

Q: When did you start your music?
 A: RIZLA: We have been working on our music since 2006.

Q: What stable are you co signed under?
A:  RIZLA: At the moment we are Independent and loving it.

Q: When did your careers start?
A: RIZLA: My career started in the year 2000. That's when I started writing and rapping
     with other students back in school.
     KOMPOZITIONER: Well I started out rapping at school around year 2002 and naturally 
     with no beats I started investing time and money into the art of  beat making to produce 
     a complete product . 

Q: How is your music important to you?
A: RIZLA: It's the one thing i can never get bored of doing. Getting into the studio and
     creating music is the ultimate high for me. So to share my life experiences with the world
     is like the most important thing when it comes to our music.
     KOMPOZITIONER: On the real for me it’s Therapy, an escape into a world I created were
     a baseline tells a story and a note played on a record is not just a sound but a piece 
     of me….my story with no words I guess. 

Q: Who or what influenced you to become musicians?
A: RIZLA: Eventually after so many years of being part of the culture it comes natural to
     start contributing to it one way or another. I think for me the urge to tell my story and
     represent were I'm from was the biggest push I got to getting into this.
     KOMPOZITIONER: Life did from my parents playing UB40 to my sisters listening to
     Macarena and the amount of music I had at the time about 3000 hours of Cassette
     tapes and Video tapes. Oh! yeah, and my constant adding of melodies to every song I hear.   

Q: What kind of message does your music portray?
A: RIZLA: It's basically our different life stories which somehow tend to be the same most of
     the times. Our everyday hustle is what we talk about. It's all positive good music meant 
     to invoke emotion one way or another. Laugh, cry, dance and so on. Above all like 
     Spinx always says...'You got to keep it real”.

Q: Have you performed anywhere outside Zimbabwe?
A: RIZLA: No! Hopefully from this interview we will get a few gigs lined up.

Q: What does Hip-Hop mean to you?
A: RIZLA: Hip Hop to me is a culture. It's a way of life filled with ways of expressing oneself. It's
    a unifying force that has brought the world together through it's different expressions.To me 
    it also means freedom. I am so at ease expressing myself through a pen and pad it's crazy.

Q: Do you have a favorite song/ track from your mix-tape?
A:RIZLA: At the moment it has to be the track called Gossip that we did. The lyrics are so
    real. Spinx killed that verse Of  The Top. Yes, he just got into studio and started spitting 
    fire. No pen, no pad, no phones...lol Look out for the video for that track.

Q: What has been the general response to your music?
A: RIZLA: Most people don't believe that we from Bulawayo right here in Zimbabwe coz
    our quality is too good to be from Zimbabwe, so they say! Feedback is good so far 
    so hopefully we can market ourselves more. KOMPOZITIONER: I left Zimbabwe two
    years ago so the reaction to the Mixtape in Zim I wouldn’t know about but people from
    Down Under are feeling the Music and the fact that it’s coming from Africa it’s showing them 
    a different side to the continent. 

Q: Are you being aired on radio?
A: RIZLA: Our music has been on radio for 2 years now. We recently sent the mixtape so 
     yeah, best believe we “Occupying the Airwaves” for real.

Q: What makes a good artist in your opinion?
A: RIZLA: A good artist respects his work. It starts from the respect you have for your work 
     first, then from then on you will see the discipline and hard work will naturally follow in 
     place. Artist need to take time out to learn and appreciate how things work so that they
     can best be able to produce quality products in whatever they do.
     KOMPOZITIONER: A person that knows him/her self to the point where their character 
     is reflected in their music or art.

Q: What do you enjoy most about Hip hop?
A: RIZLA: Being able to express yourself freely is what I enjoy most. Watching people use 
     what they have to create something beautiful is also in there but freedom stands out more. 

Q: What have been your biggest challenges?
A: RIZLA: Financing our projects has been the biggest problem. So, because of 
     this financial constraint we can’t solely concentrate on music alone because we have bills
     to pay.

Q: What motivates S.K.R to do what you do?
A: RIZLA: The fact that we can eventually spend the rest of our lives doing what we love 
     the most and that's contributing to Hip Hop is the greatest motivation of all. Life is too short
     so we are planning on spending it wisely.
     KOMPOZITIONER : The prospects of one day being able to provide for my family and build
     a name that lasts for generations……Lineage. Like a phrase I engraved in my brain 
     (I’m trying to feed my Grandchildren 5 years before I know 30)! 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Jeweler Ma Naka with DJ 1-Beat





What is jewellery, does it have to be shiny, whats the marvel behind it, should it tell a story?  These are just but a few questions i presented to a stunning jeweler, Manaka located in the United Kingdom,  and this is what she had to say.


Q: Who is Manaka?

A: My name is Mary and I live in the bustling & cosmopolitan city of London... I was born in a small mining town in the Midlands of Zimbabwe where we speak a language called Shona. Manaka translates to 'possessing beauty'


Q: What did you do to gain so much knowledge in this area?

A: I have realized that creating and making had very little to do with my education. This comes as no disrespect to teachers though as I’ve had many who inspired and fostered my creativity. Like a sponge, I collect drops of inspiration from just about anything and everything. The learning never ends... I am ever-learning and evolving...


Q:When did your career start? 

A: My career started the first time I created something I was proud of... Passion for your own art is mandatory. 



Q: What does your art mean to you? 
A: Art to me is a form of expression... 



Q: Do you think that a person must possess talent to capture emotion, expression and style?

A: I think being an artist is encoded within a person... It takes great talent and a whole lot of imagination to create something beautiful... One of my many role models is Tim Burton... I am blown away time and time again by his beautiful imagination. He draws you into a world of wonders with his  brightly coloured animations... His work is as creepy as it is charming whilst beautiful and captivating. To me, this is magic...


Q: Does the price of  materials matter in ways that it affects the quality of your work and products?

A: I don't think price of materials is a highly contributing factor. More important is the quality of the materials used... I use a lot of recycled and re-purposed textiles in my work and increasingly try to do so... Textiles make up 12% of landfill sites and man-made fibres products do not decompose. Recycling means I can make use of quality textiles, some of which are vintage and are not available in all shops these days... I also try and use eco-friendly alternatives such as natural threads and organic fabrics were possible



Q: Do you have a special style in your work that can single you out like strokes in a painting?

A: I create wearable art by hand... Its the magic of the human touch that sets handmakers apart... My work mirrors my love for life- the colourful, the random and its diversity! I like to create art that is offbeat and has no limits when it comes to colour! I use every colour on the pallet. 



Q: What makes a good hand craft design in your opinion? 

A: Its impossible to say what is good or bad... Its purely down to taste. Handmade jewellery for me is Love in form. It’s pretty easy to spot stuff that is made only for the sake of making money. You feel the lack of energy and the lack of love... 


Q: What do you enjoy most about hand craft design?

A: I enjoy combining my ideas with my experiences and my fantasies and then working them through my hands till I come up with something wearable... Seeing someone wearing one of my designs is the icing on the cake. I will never forget the first time I spotted someone wearing one of my designs!

Q: What motivates you to do what you do? 

A: I have a very supportive family network & my partner has been a great contributing factor to my work... Being a great artist, he is always a good & fair critic of my work whilst constantly encouraging me.

Q: What have been your most favorable moments?

A: One of my highlights so far has been joining the team at Divine Canvas Tattoos were I work and sell my art... Although I am not a tattooist, its very inspirational to be surrounded by great artists who are truly passionate about handmade jewelry, whether its in a physical object or an experience... Being part of the team has really changed my perspective on my work. I think that was the first time I truly felt like an artist. More than gaining a great confidence boost, I have also gained a family.


Love & Light.¸¸.•*¨`* ✩
Mary...✿
✄--------------------------------------------------------
Manaka Handmade Jewellery Accessories

Sold Exclusively @
Divine Canvas Tattoos
\ 179 Caledonian Road\ London\ N1 0SL
tel. +44(0)20 7502 7736

Shop online - www.manakahandmade.etsy.com
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